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sisterSTAFF Blog

sisterSTAFF Blog

Today, the DiabetesSisters’ Board of Directors appointed me to serve as Interim CEO of the organization as Brandy Barnes, Founder, stepped down. Since 2011, I have been on a whirlwind journey full of wonderful moments and priceless memories with DiabetesSisters.

Ah-Choo!......Ah Choo! I’m sneezing constantly and pollen is flying all around me! That must mean one thing: Spring is FINALLY here! There are lots of things that make me love April, but I just realized one important thing: April reminds me of Friday, my favorite day of the week. Friday is my favorite day of the week because there’s so much anticipation of the fun, enjoyment, and even relaxation that is to come over the weekend. The month of April seems like one long Friday….full of anticipation of the fun times ahead in the warm spring and summer months.

After this uncharacteristically cold North Carolina winter, I am ready for some sunshine. We’ve had ice and snow and school closings – and it’s all made for adjustments and juggling of schedules and calendars. And naturally, it’s brought adjustments to my own diabetes management, as snow days mean being stuck at home, less exercise, more food consumption, etc.

Okay....In case you're wondering, the title was just a throwback to the super cool 90's female rap group, Salt 'n' Pepa and their song, "Let's Talk about Sex." A number one song released in 1991, it talks about safe sex, the positive and negative sides of sex and the censorship that sex had around that time in American mainstream media. Some similarities can be drawn between the purpose of this song and how diabetes is viewed and discussed in America.

When I last posted in November 2014, I was feeling rundown, tired and unmotivated. I received many messages from you, offering me support and encouragement: THANK YOU. I am happy to report that after a few weeks of rest and family time, I feel energerized and motivated.

I am generally a very upbeat person. I try to stay positive in all aspects of my life: personal, work, diabetes. But sometimes, I find myself exhausted, sad, and in my mind, to crawl into bed and hide under the covers. Today is the first of the month - the first day of the upbeat holiday season that brings us to reflect on the year and set goals for the coming year.

Earlier this month, Anna (Norton) and I traveled to Orlando, FL along with 2,500 CDEs to attend the 41st Annual AADE Conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Refresh. Recharge, Renew.” While there were noticeably fewer people in attendance, those who were there seemed to be engaged and enjoying the event. When we arrived, Anna made her way to the Exhibit Hall where had a booth this year (the first time since 2009!). Since she spent the majority of her time there, she’s going to share her observations in a separate post.

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the 2014 AADE Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. I was granted a special press pass to attend, where I met (and was reunited with) many other diabetes advocates, CDE's and medical professionals, exhibitors and vendors, and DiabetesSisters' volunteers.